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California - What are you doing this month?

Marc, The salvia are further down the flower bed in photo #2 with the sunshine on them. I thought these were tall by comparison. No??

Audrey, This is the time of the summer when we sing 'Should they stay or should they go?" Every time I tend the compost cage I think of you. If I had 4' piles, they would defeat me. I really, really recommend that your DH make a series of 3'X cages for you so that you are only turning 27 cu ft instead of 64 cu ft. A 3rd cage can be for the finished product. Psychologically it's easier to face.

Hello from beautiful Dongguan, China

I like the KIS(s) philosophy.

1. Interior measurements are what are important to the plant. I still think you could lay a chopstick across the middle of the mix in the Styrofoam cooler and call it 2 squares for planting purposes.

2. Group 4 to 8 coolers together so that the interior can be comfortably reached from all 4 sides. Wrap around them with duct tape and call it Bed #1. Repeat for beds #2 etc. Leave 3 feet between them as isles.

3. The vermiculite piles at the top and right of the photo look good.

4. Rodent proofing. See Mel's book for directions to construct a chicken wire cage, but use 1/4" or 1/2" metal mesh to build them. Make them large and tall enough for the type of veggie plus at least 1' larger on the sides so you can place the whole contraption over a "bed."

Shade screen

Kathy, You can cover now and basically leave them on until August, maybe even Sept. Sunshine, temperature and wind can all dry out leaves. Right now, we at lower latitudes have direct sun and hot weather. a killer combination. The only thing worse is the Santa Ana winds with all 3 at once!! You will be giving shade, not totally wrapping. You will be using something semi-transparent so some sun will get through. (My photo #2) Provide that for your plants that are scorching or struggling. Drape some over on the West side for protection from the worst of the day. (my photo #2) It is open on the east and largely protected on the West. The house provides protection from the northern sun. Photo #1 shows the draping doesn't go all the way down so breeze (ha) can go through.

Regarding your beans, the lower leaves commonly yellow and fall off. I may have lost the beans in one small box today. I will clip sheers on all the trellises' tops and let them fall down over on the hottest sides. In fact, even tomatoes will get protection now.

Questions about store bought compost

1.  Dumbing down:  Yes, there are some differences.  Bunny can be added directly as top dressing.  Cow is a little higher in nitrogen than horse because they digest more thoroughly.  Poultry can be even higher (hotter).  Regardless, if you are looking for 1 of the 5 composts, they need to be composted or aged before adding to the mix or they will burn.  Fresh is better for making your own cooking composting pile.
2.  peat and humus do not add any nutrients so can't be used as a compost.
3.  Probably the same answer as #2, don't know what triple mix is.
4.  Mushroom compost, as Camp noted, is used compost.  Weak in nutrients.
5.  "compost accelerator"-  don't buy any, maybe buy dried blood meal if the pile needs a kick to heat up.  If a compost pile is perfectly balanced and moist, it won't need anything.  Urine is used by some and is free.

problems using black plastic under MM in sfg?

By the time I get around to finishing this reply, someone else may have replied.  Here's my 2 cents for the existing box.  You don't know what is going on down at the bottom.  There may be a depression in the ground where water is pooling.  If you just stick a knife in the mix and stab holes in the bottom, other plant roots may come up into the box for the nutrients and water.

Get a tarp, take all of the mix out and put it on the tarp.   Put 3 or 4 lengths of 2" x 4" on the existing plastic.  If you want to leave the plastic down, stab some holes in it for drainage.  Turn the box frame over and screw a 4' x 4' piece of 3/4" plywood to the bottom.  Drill 3/4" holes in the plywood for drainage.  Ex:  one in each corner of the box and one in the middle of each imaginary square.  Turn the box back over and set on the wood pieces.  If you don't want to use wood to elevate the box because of a lot of rain in your area, you can use a few bricks, cement bricks, etc.  Line the box with weed fabric and refill.  Add some of the new compost materials you will be buying to bring the level of mix back up to where it started out last year when you first filled it.  Now you have a box that drains well, is out of the reach of any invasive roots and is ready for grids and planting.

If you remove the grass for box #2, you may create a water puddle under the box.  Instead, cover the spot with plastic and stab some holes, and repeat what you just did with box #2.

I looked online for a Home Depot in Monroe (central north LA).  I also looked at Craig's List for Shreveport and Monroe but couldn't find much.  Here's what I found at Home Depot.

Home Depot, Monroe, LA:

1.  Nature's Way SFG Potting soil and Mix, (ready made Mel's Mix)  !!!

or

1.  Ecoscraps Compost (1st choice) or Garden soil (2nd choice), a well composted wood and veggies compost.
2.  Steer manure (manure)
3.  Natural Nitro 100% Worm Castings Soil Amendment (worm casting)    or
Noble worm castings (worm casting)
4.  1 cu. ft. Nature's Care Really Good Compost (yard waste)

Online:  Kelp4less.com  has kelp meal - you only use a little (spoon per square) so it goes a long way
eBay:  various worm casting sellers - use more than kelp meal (maybe a cup per square)

Try to find a 5th source.  Year-old pile of horse manure?

shade cloth question

I can narrow it down to 2 general guides. #1 -When it hits 100*F, the shade material goes up. Anything potted goes into shady areas. #2 - protection from the western sun is my priority. The morning sun, before the day heats up, is okay.

Plants can be like people. When it is hot, we don't like to do much. Keep hydrated. Cover the soil with mulch to keep the soil cool and reduce evaporation. The plants may not set fruit (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, etc.) but they will survive and start to produce again when it drops under 100*F. Other crops just aren't appropriate in the hot summers. Lettuce, bok choy, coles will bolt (produce flowers). That's the end of them. They are better California winter crops. I hope this helps.

Building a Table Top SFG...some ideas

Screw it to the bottom with support at least every 2'.  Simple support sitting on 4" x 6".  
Table top style #1:
Table top style 1 underneath supports:
Short table top / raised bed style #2, my favorite style:
Closeup corner construction of style #2:
Inside the box, there is a flat 2 x 4 screwed to the sides at the midpoint (2' mark), flush with the bottom edge.  The plywood is then screwed down to it when the box is upside down.  Probably not the longest lasting design but should hold for 3-4 years. The beds are 10 1/2" deep so the 2 x 4 does take up much space to be of any concern.